Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Dare to ignore
"Back away Malara" Silla hissed and block Hound's path.
Lord Hound's eyes stayed locked on Silla, his sneer widening into a mocking grin. "Who are you to meddle in our business, snake?" he taunted. "Go hide in the bushes where you belong. This is a conversation for those with real power, not for some slithering servant."
He glanced around, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Zholga! Why don't you take your snake baby here and keep them out of grown-up matters?"
From among the gathered Clan Lords, Zholga slithered forward with a grin. She was half-woman, half-black serpent, with long, flowing black hair and eyes like dark pools. Her serpentine body glided across the ground with a fluid grace, and her revealing attire left little to the imagination, her cleavage hinting at a dangerous allure.
"He's not my baby, Hound," she hissed, her voice smooth and teasing.
As she approached Silla, her eyes took in his form—the sleek, silver scales, the powerful coils of his body. A smirk curled her lips. "You know, I've never seen a serpent quite like you before. Beautiful, in a way," her tone laced with a sultry interest. "Aren't we suited to each other? Two serpents, finding a way in this harsh world."
Silla's expression darkened, his scales bristling with irritation. His eyes narrowed at Zholga, a low, warning hiss escaping his lips. Silla were annoyed and he could hear the mocking chuckle coming from behind him.
It was Huno. "Looks like you've found yourself a woman, Silla," he barked, one of his heads eyeing Zholga with a mischievous look.
"Shut up! And get away from me!" Silla snapped back, his hiss filled with frustration.
"Temper, temper," she teased, her black eyes gleaming with mischief. "You'll scare off all the admirers."
Silla, thoroughly fed up, shoved Zholga away with enough force to send her back a few paces. "I said, stay away!" he hissed, his eyes flashing with a dangerous glint.
Meanwhile, Huno's three heads turned their attention back to the gathered Clan Lords. His nostrils flared as he began to circle them, sniffing at the air, his tails swaying behind him like pendulums. "You really think our master will bother to see you all?" he growled, his voice echoing with a sense of mockery. "What makes you think you're worth his time?"
Silla's serpentine eyes narrowed slightly as he leaned closer to Zholga, his voice dropping to a low, almost inaudible whisper. "Our mother is more beautiful than you," he hissed, a smug edge in his tone.
Zholga blinked, her expression shifting from playful to confused. "What?" clearly taken aback. She didn't quite understand what Silla meant, but she was still captivated by his unique appearance and presence.
Before Zholga could press further, a deep, arrogant snort echoed through the gathering. Gornak, the pig-like demon with two massive horns protruding from his forehead, stepped forward, his small eyes glaring with disdain.
"Enough of this nonsense," he grumbled, his voice a low, guttural growl. "Not some mere pets will stop me"
He took another step forward, completely ignoring the menacing presence of Huno. His defiance did not go unnoticed. Suddenly, the ground seemed to tremble beneath him.
Before Gornak could react, he was lifted off his feet, a stunned grunt escaping his mouth. His small, piggish eyes widened as he found himself suspended in the air-trapped in the jaws of a now 15-foot-tall Huno.
Huno's three heads growled with primal hunger as they tore into Gornak's flesh, their jaws clamping down with bone-crushing force. In seconds, the pig-like demon was ripped apart, his blood splattering the ground.
The other demons watched in a mix of horror and awe as Huno devoured Gornak in one brutal motion. Huno's heads rose from the gore, their mouths dripping with blood. His eyes blazed with a dangerous gleam as he looked down at the remaining Clan Lords.
"Dare to ignore" a deep, echoing growled, his voice that shook the around. "You might end up like him."
A heavy silence fell over the gathering. The Clan Lords, who had been so confident and arrogant moments ago, now looked on in shock. Even the fierce and prideful Zholga seemed unsettled by the sight of Huno's ferocity.
Sorgar, the one-eyed demon with jagged teeth and gray, ashen skin, finally spoke, his voice wavering. "It's a Cerberus!" he stuttered, his eye wide with disbelief. "H-how can a legendary being like you be tamed?! How did you come here?!"
The other Clan Lords murmured in agreement, clearly taken aback. Cerberus- the legendary guardian of the Underworld, a being of immense power and fear-stood before them as an ally of the new Bino Clan Lord.
Huno, still in his massive form, licked the blood from his jaws with a sense of satisfaction.
His eyes glinted with dark amusement. "Tamed?" he scoffed, his three heads speaking in a chorus of low growls. "I serve a master who is worthy. One who is beyond your understanding, demons."
"If any of you doubt his power, step forward. I will be happy to teach you the same lesson." The Clan Lords hesitated, glancing at one another. They were all powerful beings in their own right, but to face a legend like Cerberus, especially when he was allied with an unknown entity, was a risk none of them were eager to take.
Huno, having shown his terrifying power, slowly shrank back to his dog-sized form, his three heads still dripping with blood from the earlier battle. He looked around at the Clan Lords with a dark, challenging gleam in his eyes. "Insult my master again," he growled, his deep voice resonating even in his smaller form, "and you'll see what happens."
Huno padded over to Malara. His three heads lowered slightly, and he looked up at her expectantly.
"Wipe my mouths," Malara nodded immediately, understanding the unspoken trust in Huno's request. She retrieved a clean cloth from her belt and began carefully wiping the blood from each of Huno's muzzles.
A figure then began to emerge from the group of Bino demons. Seojun stepped forward, his presence drawing all eyes to him. "What's going on here?" he asked, his voice calm yet commanding.
Huno tail began wagging wildly, and all three heads started barking in excitement. The great Cerberus, now the size of a dog, ran to Seojun with such enthusiasm it was almost comical. His powerful form and earlier menace were all but forgotten.
Seojun chuckled softly as Huno jumped up at him, licking his face eagerly with each of his three heads. Meanwhile, Silla also shrank to a small snake size, slithering closer. Zholga, who had been observing them with a mixture of fear and fascination, couldn't help but mutter, "How terrifying..."
Silla, hearing her words. "That's my brother to you," he hissed, then crawled up Seojun's arm, wrapping himself around his neck before nuzzling against Seojun's cheek.
Zholga, still bewildered by the sudden change, blinked. "Brother?" she repeated softly, confusion evident in her voice.
Seojun sat down, comfortably leaning against a large rock, and continued to pet Huno, who was now joyfully licking his face. Silla rubbed his head against Seojun's cheek, making a soft, contented sound.
Malara, who had been watching closely, took a step forward and bowed respectfully. "My lord,The other Clan Lords are here."
The Clan Lords who had witnessed the scene were all in a state of shock. A human? How did a mere human manage to find his way here? And, more importantly, how did a human become the lord of the Bino Clan?
Some of them began muttering under their breath. "Is he the one who annihilated three territories?" Vrok asked, disbelief in his tone.
In unison, the thought ran through each of their minds: 'He looks weak.'
Huno, still in his small form but ever perceptive, sensed their thoughts and shifted his heads to glare at them. His growl, even in this size, sent a shiver down their spines. They knew not to underestimate him again.
Seojun stood up, gently setting Huno down. His eyes swept across the gathered demons,
One of the Clan Lords, a massive cyclops with a single, glaring eye and dark, cracked skin, quickly stepped forward. He bowed low, his tone more respectful. "We are here to pay a visit and to congratulate you on becoming the new ruler. I am Balor, Lord of the Gloomfang Clan."
Another Clan Lord, with the face of a lion and vibrant red fur standing like a mane around his head, stepped forward next. "I am Kazrak, Lord of the Bloodmane Clan,"
A third, a lean, almost skeletal demon with two twisted horns and sunken eyes, spoke up. "I am Sorgar, Lord of the Hollowshades,"